Portsmouth paddleboarders capture video showing large pod of dolphins leaping close to excited visitors on Southsea beach

A PAIR of paddleboarders have made some new friends out in the water – as a pod of eight dolphins jumped between them just a short distance from Southsea beach.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Cowplain resident Jim Elgar and his friend James go out paddleboarding in the waters around Portsmouth once a week – but Jim says he has never seen anything like the site that greeted them last Thursday.

The 34-year-old: ‘It’s quite strange. Our normal route is Eastney, and go out to the pier and back again.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘But we decided to have a change of scenery and go around Spitbank Fort. When we arrived at the beach, I saw a fin and thought that’s a big fish. Then I saw about eight fins.’

A pod of eight dolphins has been spotted close to Southsea beach.A pod of eight dolphins has been spotted close to Southsea beach.
A pod of eight dolphins has been spotted close to Southsea beach.

The quantity surveyor quickly realised he had a rare opportunity to swim with dolphins.

Jim added: ‘There was a lot of people on the beach looking and pointing.

‘When we got out into the water, they weren’t fearful at all. I’m sure we could have touched them, they were that close to us, but we left them be.

‘It looks like they followed a ferry into the port.

‘I have absolutely never seen anything like this.’

Read More
Portsmouth dental crisis plunges to new depths as sale of city centre practice s...
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It is not the first time that Portsmouth has been visited by dolphins.

In 2020, two friends out fishing between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight were surprised when they found that their boat had wound up right in the middle of a large group of dolphins from a pod of more than 100.